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The holiday season is in full swing. However, people who travel abroad with their dogs should be cautious before each trip and aware of possible health risks associated with travelling with a pet. SAS parasitologists call attention to issues concerning cases of severe parasitic diseases in Slovakia - Leishmaniasis, which the dogs bring mainly from southern Europe.

During the last ten years, global changes have sped up the spread of disease agents to areas where they did not occur before. In addition to climate change, the increased trend of travelling with our canine companions plays a huge role in this situation. We have not yet been able to manage the presence of "heartworm" and dirofilaria transmitted by mosquitoes, and our dogs are threatened by another dangerous parasite - Leishmaniasis. 

"Leishmaniasis in dogs is caused by single-celled parasites transmitted by flies - sandflies, stinging insects of the Phlebotomus genus.  The most common dog disease agent is Leishmania infantum, which got its name because this infection historically occurred mainly in children," explains Martina Miterpáková of the Institute of Parasitology SAS.

The parasite attacks the cells of the skin, spleen, liver, lymph nodes and bone marrow, which are part of the immune system, resulting in very serious damage to the organism. The disease can persist for a long time, even several years, without symptoms, but infected dogs become undetected carriers of the parasite. The typical symptoms that can be observed by dog ​​owners and veterinarians are skin changes, a significant loss of muscle mainly on the temples and jaw-bone (the so-called old dog's head), hair loss (primarily on the head and legs), enlargement of lymph nodes, or extreme overgrowth claws.

Although the natural circulation of Leishmaniasis in Slovakia has not yet been confirmed, in recent years more and more dogs - travellers - have been returning home with this infection as a souvenir. The risk destinations include Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, but also the most popular destination of our vacationers, Croatia, where the parasite occurs mainly in the region of central Dalmatia.

Since the treatment of this parasitic infection is financially and medically very demanding, and the medicine currently available on the market can´t completely cure it, people travelling with their dogs should focus on preventive measures.

"For dogs travelling from Slovakia to the Mediterranean, it is possible to recommend the use of insecticidal sprays as protection against parasite vectors and keeping them indoors at dusk and dawn when flies are most active. After returning from a stay in a high-risk country, the owner can ask the veterinarian for a test for the presence of antibodies against this parasite," recommends the parasitologist, emphasizing that even though Leishmaniasis is also transmissible to humans, currently, there are mainly cases of infection imported from tropics to Europe.

Edited by Katarína Gáliková

Photo: Unsplash, European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites